Barbara Adams, a volunteer and board member with the Wild Bird Care Centre in Ottawa, says the sanctuary has received a higher-than-usual number of sick and injured birds in 2016. (CBC)

An Ottawa wildlife centre says it's in desperate need of funds after seeing a steep increase in the number of sick, injured and orphaned birds arriving at its doors.

The Wild Bird Care Centre says the number of birds it's cared for this year has risen by about 35 per cent over 2015 — and as a result, they're launching an online fundraiser in the hopes of bringing in $100,000 to pay the bills associated with that care.